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Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters

High-sensitivity microwave detector based on a Josephson heterostructure

Igor A. Devyatov, M. Yu. Kupriyanov

Published Jul 1, 2009• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

The possibility of using the Josephson heterostructure composed of a nanoscale metallic absorber separated from superconducting strips by thin insulating layers as a high-sensitivity microwave detector has been considered theoretically. The inductive response of such a detector has been calculated and the influence of the nonequilibrium of the electron subsystem of the metallic absorber on its response has been analyzed. The limiting sensitivity of the proposed detector has been found.

DOI
10.1134/s0021364009090069

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The possibility of using the Josephson heterostructure composed of a nanoscale metallic absorber separated from superconducting strips by thin insulating layers as a high-sensitivity microwave detector has been considered theoretically. The inductive response of such a detector has been calculated and the influence of the nonequilibrium of the electron subsystem of the metallic absorber on its response has been analyzed. The limiting sensitivity of the proposed detector has been found.
We consider theoretically signal and noise properties of the new type of a high-sensitivity microwave detector, based on a SINIS (Superconductor-Insulator-Normal metal-Insulator-Superconductor) Josephson junction, in which the electron energy distribution function f(ε) in the nanoscale normal metal N region is nonequilibrium due to the capacitive coupling of this region with a receiving antenna. The deviation of f(ε) from the equilibrium leads to a change in the critical current Ic of the junction, i.e., in fact, to its inductance L = Φ0/2πIc (Φ0 ≈ 2.07*10-15 Wb is the magnetic flux quantum), which is the output signal of this device. Up to now there was no calculation of the noise properties of SINIS Josephson junction bolometer, taking into account non-equilibrium form of electron distribution function f(ε) in the normal metal absorber of this detector. We make this calculations and demonstrate, that noise parameter NEP of this detector is lower, than in others modern microwave detectors.
A Josephson high-temperature superconducting (HTSC) submillimeter-wave spectrometer is designed, built, and experimentally investigated. The integrated detection structure of the spectrometer includes a YBCO Josephson junction on a bicrystalline boundary, a double-slot or log-periodic antenna, and a low-inductance resistive shunt. The selective detector response and the response at an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz are measured under the action of a signal in the frequency range 350–1250 GHz. Three methods of spectroscopy are investigated using this setup: 1) a method of Hilbert spectroscopy with processing of the detector response is implemented; 2) it is found that for a wide Josephson line at intermediate frequency (IF) the response has the same form as the detector response, making it possible to obtain a spectrum and the width of the generation line from IF response measurements; 3) for a narrow Josephson line the IF response corresponds to the regime of conversion with self-pumping. A new method is proposed for calculating the emission spectrum. The method consists of simple shift, summation, and subtraction operations. The advantages of the method are simplicity, high sensitivity, and high resolution.
We have developed a novel superconducting switch where the states of a quasiparticle tunnel junction (detector) are set with an external magnetic field generated by a control superconducting strip. Because the strip is only slightly overlaps the underlying junction, its non-uniform field with a high concentration near the edge strongly influences the junction current-voltage characteristics. A prototype of the device proposed has been realized on the base of thin Pb films separated by Sn oxide layers. A semiquantitative model of the switch operation using the critical-state approach is in good agreement with experimental data. After miniaturizing, applications in high-frequency superconducting microelectronics seem to be practically promising.
Due to their multiplexing capability and their good sensitivity to radiation from submillimeter to X-ray wavelengths, microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) are increasingly used in the field of astrophysics. The Advanced Technology Center of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan is developing MKIDs for astronomical observations such as CMB B-mode search with LiteBIRD. MKIDs are made of superconductors whose energy gap determines the detector frequency range. The energy gap depends on Tc, the critical temperature of the superconductor. It is thus important to be able to adjust Tc in order to choose the suitable frequency range. When using a single-layer MKID, the Tc is fixed by the superconducting gap energy of the unique component and cannot be changed. One possibility is to make a bilayer MKID using the proximity effect to adjust its critical temperature. This paper presents our new study on MKIDs made of superconductor/metal bilayers. We investigated niobium and copper bilayers (Nb/Cu) and fabricated different bilayers in our clean room. The critical temperature of each of them has been measured. We show that the Tc depends on the ratio between Nb and Cu thicknesses and that we are able to control it. Then, we characterized one of these Nb/Cu bilayers (Nb = 8 nm and Cu = 22 nm) once integrated in a MKID. We measured the temperature dependence of the resonant frequency, and we achieved quality factors as high as 2 × 104. The measurement of the noise spectrum provided a lower limit equal to -85 dBc/Hz, and the calculation of the noise equivalent power has shown that the sensitivity of the Nb/Cu bilayer MKID is not very far from that of an Al monolayer MKID.